A healthy perspective on child nutrition

Under the enthusiastic leadership of First Lady Michelle Obama, late last week Congress approved the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, legislation intended to make school lunches healthier. The bill, which merely awaits the President’s signature to become law, requires schools to use more whole grains, fresh fruits and fresh vegetables in cafeteria meals. To pay for these more nutritious offerings, the act mandates cuts — set to take place in future years — in the federal food stamp program. The legislation also calls for small increases in the amounts schools charge those students not receiving free or discounted meals. Although this rise in the cost of school lunches will only be a few cents per day, many Conservatives opposed the bill, calling the boost a new tax on the middle-class and the law an unnecessary further expansion of federal authority. At the same time, a handful of liberals were hostile to the measure for its promise of reductions in the growth of food stamp payments.

ACSH’s Dr. Gilbert Ross, who previously expressed his support for this legislation, notes his disagreement with the lack of a physical education requirement to promote child nutrition and healthy lifestyles. “I believe the increased time spent in front of computers and related devices over the past decade has contributed immensely to the obesity problem. Further, due to budget cuts, many school districts have reduced or eliminated phys-ed programs — exactly the wrong way to reduce obesity.” And of course, nothing in this (or any other) bill will help to educate parents about sound nutrition.